Savannah Guthrie made Jenna Bush Hager‘s jaw drop with a surprising workplace holiday party story.
Guthrie appeared as Bush Hager’s cohost on the Tuesday, December 23, episode of Today With Jenna & Friends, which was prerecorded. The duo answered several fan questions during the episode’s “Girl Code” segment, including one about how to handle a coworker’s questionable behavior.
The fan question read, “My office holiday party is in a few days … My work bestie Jackie is usually ‘overserved’ and becomes inappropriately flirty at these events. Last year she was hanging all over our boss and she doesn’t remember it at all. Should I say something ahead of time or roll the dice?”
Bush Hager jokingly reacted to the question by asking the show’s staff, “Guys, did one of y’all put this in? Who was flirting with [showrunner and executive producer] Talia [Parkinson-Jones] last year? I’m trying to rack my brain.”
Guthrie chimed in, stating, “I have to say, as someone who has spanked a network correspondent at a holiday party…” Bush Hager cut her off before she could finish her statement, asking Guthrie, “Who did you spank?”
“I don’t want to say,” Guthrie replied. “It was an air-spanking, so I don’t think I actually [touched them].” Guthrie went on to clarify that the colleague was a guy.
The Today cast consists of the show’s full-time hosts — including Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Willie Geist, and Peter Alexander — and contributors such as Joe Fryer, Tom Costello, Gabe Gutierrez, Keir Simmons, Sam Brock, Gadi Schwartz, Ryan Nobles, Steve Kornacki, and Brian Cheung, among others.
Bush Hager pointed out that Guthrie once spanked her, but in a joking, friendly way. “Yes, and I made contact with you. But we’re at that point in our friendship,” Guthrie noted before offering her response to the fan’s question.
“Avoid the issue. I don’t think you should say something,” Guthrie stated. “It won’t be well-received. She doesn’t remember it. I don’t think any good can come of it.”
Bush Hager questioned, “But what if you’re worried about her spanking somebody and getting called into HR?” Guthrie replied, “Well, maybe there’s a way to do it … She’s a grown woman, you know? If I came up to you and was like, ‘Hey Jenna, don’t spank anyone,’ or, ‘You were kind of crazy last year,’ I just don’t know if that would be well-received.”
Guthrie also noted that there’s a difference between the relationships of “work besties” and real-life best friends. “I wouldn’t touch it, myself,” she concluded.
Guthrie filmed Tuesday’s episode of Jenna & Friends ahead of her final Today episode of the year on Friday, December 19. Guthrie explained on the show that she will be undergoing surgery for vocal nodules and a polyp “early in the new year” and will be off for several weeks at the start of 2026. Her return date has not been announced.
Today With Jenna & Friends, Weekdays, 10 a.m./9c, NBC
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